No.13567, Private, Herbert BENDALL
Aged 19
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Herbert Charles Bendall was born in Bottisham (Newmarket Q3-1897 3b:505), son of James and Sarah BENDALL (née BURLING).
1901 census...Aged 3, he was at Town Street, Bottisham with his father James BENDALL [27] a stableman in racing stable, born Horningsea; his mother Sarah [29] and brothers Henry [5] and Arthur [1]. All, except his father, were born in Bottisham. 1911 census...Aged 13, a labourer, he was in Bottisham with his parents (father now a gardener), brothers Henry William (labourer) and Arthur Leonard, and sister Rose May [7] and brother Jim Burling [8 months], both born in Bottisham. 2 siblings had died. The pension card has his father at Grape Villa Cottage, Bottisham |
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He enlisted in Cambridge.
The 8th Suffolk were in action at Boom Ravine between Courcelette and Miraumont on 17th February 1917 when the 2nd and 18th Divisions took part in a concentrated effort to take this strongly defended feature, and Petit-Miraumont beyond and put pressure on the Germans in the Ancre Valley. This action was generally known as Miraumont but to the 8th Suffolks it was Boom Ravine. The frost which had lasted a month suddenly thawed and the ground became a gluey mess over which it was very difficult to move. Their objectives were quickly gained despite heavy fighting in front of un-cut wire and they got as far as a few hundred yards from Petit Miraumont. There they consolidated, helped by a mist which hindered enemy observation. They had suffered 130 casualties, of which 35 were killed, 12 of them have no known grave but the rest are all in Regina Trench Cemetery in Grandcourt. Information gleaned from Lt.Col. Murphy's "History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927" and wwww.cwgc.org.
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